Monument record MDO1724 - Prehistoric field system on Minterne Hill, Minterne Magna

Site of Celtic field system of Iron Age or Roman date destroyed by modern farming in 1955. Linear banked features extending along the ridge and flanks of Minterne Hill are visible on 1940s aerial photographs and current Environment Agency lidar imagery and are considered to form part of a cohesive later prehistoric field system. The field system extends into fields on the west side of Minterne Hill but are less cohesive due to modern farming. The features were digitally plotted during the Upper Cerne and Piddle Valleys AIM project.

A field system centred at ST 67110350, on the west side of Minterne Hill, has pronounced but scattered field banks
and lynchets of Iron Age/Romano British type. Under rough pasture. Visible on air photographs. <1>

This Celtic field system was destroyed by modern farming methods in 1955. <2>

Linear banked features extending along the ridge and flanks of Minterne Hill are visible on 1940s aerial photographs and current Environment Agency lidar imagery and are considered to form part of a cohesive later prehistoric field system, potentially of Iron Age/RB date. Some of the linear banks towards the northern end of Minterne Hill could alternatively be lynchets of medieval origin, continuing those recorded under MDO19888, although they are not clearly of the same morphology. <4, 5, 6>
The field system extends into fields on the west side of Minterne Hill but are less cohesive due to modern farming. The features were digitally plotted during the Upper Cerne and Piddle Valleys AIM project.

<1> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 19-SEP-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<1.1> Royal Air Force, 11-APR-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1975 1046-47 (Aerial Photograph). SDO18830.

<2> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F2 NVQ 29-OCT-76 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<3> National Record of the Historic Environment, 198914 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<4> Royal Air Force, 22-JAN-1948, RAF/CPE/UK/2431 RP 3358 (Aerial Photograph). SDO20726.

<5> Royal Air Force, 11-APR-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1975 1046-47 (Aerial Photograph). SDO18830.

<6> Environment Agency, 16-NOV-2021, LIDAR Environment Agency DTM (Aerial Photograph). SDO18034.

Record last edited

Aug 8 2024 2:43PM